Try This: Paint Pen Kitchen Organization

Recently I've been working on filling up the open shelving in our kitchen. I want it to be both beautiful and functional. We do have a pantry, but it's really small. So I decided to store some of our food on the open shelves as well!

I decided to transfer all the food that would work in clear glass jars from their boxes and bags. I asked Emma what type of airtight jars she thought were best, and she recommended these Weck jars, which I love, by the way!

For a couple weeks, it looked like this. I couldn't decide how to label them, so I just taped little temporary labels on there. Whatevs.

Instantly loved using these jars, though! I use the cocoa powder and chia seeds for my morning smoothies. And with so many things in our home still incomplete, it feels AMAZING to have a few items that have a definite place!

I wanted a label system that would be easy to change out and wasn't super fussy to keep up with. At first I was planning to buy a label maker, but then I remembered paint pens!

I tested two colors. I also wanted to know how hard it was to get off. It's actually perfect because it won't come off if you just wipe down the container with a paper towel and water. But it will come off if you either scrub it with a textured sponge or throw it in the dishwasher.

I'm planning to add eight more jars on the other side of my shelves soon. They are so practical! You can store coffee, cereal, pancake mix, tea and all kinds of other things.

Aren't they cute? I LOVE easy projects that turn out cute!

Thanks for following our big and small projects! I love the big ones the most, but the little ones always make my day. There's something SO satisfying about those projects that you can start and finish in one day! xoxo- Elsie

love this idea. I have some beautiful old 2-quart canning jars that I use in the same way, and have tried various labeling ideas including a label maker. I think this is prettier than the label maker labels by a long shot.

I just did this last month with some ikea spice jars. I thought I would be able to tell the spices apart based on looks but that was a huge NO. I almost used dried dill instead of celery salt. The paint pens work so well!

I moved from a kitchen with open shelving to one without. I toyed with the idea of installing custom shelves, but decided against it, since we are in a rental. I ended up putting all my jars on one of those black wire shelving units. Not quite as cute as the old place, but it will do for now. I always used just little handwritten sticky labels, but I love the paint pen idea!

Perfect timing thanks Elsie! Just yesterday I was thinking about buying more products from our local whole foods store so I can cut back on the amount of packaging we bring into our home. I found some glass containers that I can take along to the store with me to fill up there and then also store them in at home, but was wondering what to do about labels (I’ve used stickers before but that hasn’t worked so well when washing the jars between refills) and this solution seems perfect. Thank you!

Thanks for posting! The jars look great with the paint pen writing on it. I have never heard of paint pens before. Of course I have used Sharpies but never checked into the different varieties they come in. The one things which helps make the jars look great though, is beautiful penmanship!

I ether use black permanent fix on the lid/side, which is easily wiped off with some alcohol or nail polish remover or just don’t write anything, if it’s clear what’s inside, like with chia seeds or red lentils. I know there have to be these pens for glass somewhere to buy, but I wasn’t lucky to find them in local shops.But I’ll keep looking 🙂

I’ve done something similar with chalk markers, but it sounds like paint pens can withstand quite a bit more… er, handling 😀 (Chalk marker will wipe off with water, which is fine until you open a jar with your hands wet.)

Please discuss the best way to keep these beautiful glass jars and the shelf looking clean and neat on a daily basis. Kitchens are exceptionally difficult due to the grease, etc that cooking produces( even in a low fat environment). I live in a high dust and dirt environment and the combination is unsightly and difficult to deal with.
Thanks!

I’ve also done this and discovered that those pesky little moths that invade my cupboards don’t like to be exposed to light. So all my oatmeal, flour and bread crumbs are out in the light.
I love the idea of the marking pen. I’ve been using the white labels like you started. I’m looking for some Sharpies now. Thanks.

My kitchen is so small so I love keeping rice, pasta and porridge oats in big kilner jars. I was thinking about creating chalkboard labels but I LOVE how effective this looks. Your kitchen is going to be so beautiful
Hannah xhttp://crafternooncabaretclub.com/blog

I think this is what I’ll get for my husband,It’s a new Weck jars! I loved the explanations here and thanks so much for your articles. Now I need to choose one of them. the hardest job still. I’ll see what he likes.